Bradley Arant Can’t Represent Longtime Client’s Rival

An Alabama law firm can’t dump its longtime client to represent the opposing party in a patent infringement lawsuit, a federal court ruled Feb. 26.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings represented Red Diamond Inc. in various matters for nearly a decade, but withdrew from all matters representing Red Diamond a few days after after Southern Visions LLP hired the law firm for its patent suit against Red Diamond.

Southern Visions claims a Red Diamond device for simultaneously brewing and sweetening tea infringes on several Southern Visions patents.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama compared Bradley Arant’s behavior ...